Kawowo Sports
Monday, November 19, 2012
by Ismael Kiyonga
SC Victoria’s first team coach Sam Ssimbwa has been named the Somalia national soccer team coach for the upcoming Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup.
According to the club’s website, the former Express Coach has been given the go ahead by his bosses at the club to take up the job for the two weeks tournament that kicks off this weekend till December 8th in Kampala
“I am pleased that my club allowed me to take this opportunity”, Ssimbwa told the club’s official website. “It shows that the club is supportive in my growth as a coach”, he added.
The flamboyant Coach who started his work on Monday morning was also honoured to coach a national team given he has never coached any with the closest being an assistant for Uganda Cranes a few years ago.
“It is always an honour to coach a national team. To many, Somalia may not have a chance of winning but they may have the chance to showcase some good football.
“I am ready to take that chance with the players and make the best of it. Good progress will be beneficial to all of us; the players and I.”
“My target is to reach the quarter-finals”, he concluded.
The Ocean Stars were the first team to jet into the country a week ago and are camped at Namboole Sports Hotel.
It’s not clear on how the technical team’s hierarchy is going appear since the side had travelled with Abdi Farah Ali (Head Coach) and Abdi Isak Mohamed (Asst. Coach).
However, reports from Somalia camp indicate that they requested for Ssimbwa's services the moment they arrived here but were just waiting for permission from his university side.
There were also reports that SC Villa Coach Paul Nkata was named on the team’s technical team but he denies so insisting that those are rumours.
“It’s not true”, Nkata told Kawowo Sports. “I’m concentrating on my job at Villa Park at the moment. Those are rumours”, he concluded.
Somalia is pooled in group B alongside Tanzania, Sudan and Burundi. The Ocean Stars will play their first game on Nov. 25 against Burundi.